As gas prices rise and Americans become more health conscious, bikes have risen dramatically in popularity. If your intent is to travel, lesiure or exercise, there are a number of both high-end and affordable bike choices, manufacturers like Giant, Mongoose, and LeMond have models to meet your needs. Whether You Have $200 or $2000, there is a Bike for You.

If cost is no issue, then Giant has the bike for you. The manufacturer makes a number of road bikes, mountain bikes, BMX-style bikes and comfort bikes for men, women and children. One of their more popular road models, the OCR-1, retails for about $1,000 and is made for traveling long distances. Featuring a light but strong frame and an 18-speed Shimano drive train, the OCR-1 was rated a “Best Buy” by Consumer Reports. Other Giant road models retail for as much as $6,000 for professional models used by some of the world’s best cyclists.

Giant also offers a “Lifestyle” series of bikes which are more affordable and are ideal for short distances or recreational riding. They cost between $275 and $700 and have a trendy, stylish look. The Sedona model retails for $350 and is durable enough to go off-road for weekend adventurers.

Back in the 1980s, every kid wanted a Mongoose BMX bike. Today, Mongoose is still going strong with both BMX and street models of various styles and prices. The BMX-style Mischief bike features a compact street-freestyle frame that is good for rolling on streets or trying one of Napoleon Dynamite’s “sweet jumps” and retails for $230. The Mongoose Motivator is a simple, quality model built for street or dirt and retails for only $160.

Greg LeMond made history as the first American to win the Tour De France. He then founded LeMond Bikes, which specializes in high-end racing bikes. With more professional-level cycling tracks going up around the country, a LeMond bike may be just the ticket if you want to get serious about the sport. At the top of the line is the “Tete De Course” model (French for “Head of the Race”) that retails for $7,700 for a fully loaded, carbon-frame, double-crank model that the manufacturer describes as “the lightest, fastest LeMond ever.” On the entry level end, the Fillmore single speed model features a steel frame and alloy hubs and retails for a mere $770. As gas prices rise and Americans become more health conscious, bikes have risen dramatically in popularity. Whether your intent is to travel or exercise, there are a number of choices, both high-end and affordable.

Submitted by: Victor Medina